Industry in the post-medieval to modern period – Excavations at Temple Mills

The transformation of the Lower Lea Valley, from long-established farmland to a landscape dominated by industry and infrastructure, was achieved within a few decades in the mid-19th century. However, part of the origins of that process was revealed in a remarkable excavation at Temple Mills, where the area adjoining the site of two medieval watermills was developed, from the 17th century, as an early ‘industrial estate’.